wallace



(No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet 1.

J. 0. WALLACE. APPARATUS FOR BREAKING, SOUTOHING, AND GLEANING PLAX, M.

No. 385.737. Patented July 10, 1888.

IFIGJ.

N. PFI'ERS, PhotmLiihognphur, Washinglcll, 0.6,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. WALLAGEI APPARATUS FOR B'REAKING, SGUTOHING, AND CLEANING FLAX,6:0

No. 385,737. Patented July 10, 1888.

N. PETERS, PholoLflhngrapMr, Washington. I16.

'(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.,

J. 0. WALLACE.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING, SGUTGHING, AND CLEANING FLAX, &c.

- N0.385,737. Patented July 10, 1888.

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(No Model.) 7 4 Sheets8heet 4.

J. 0. WALLACE.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING, SGUTOHING,ANDGLEANING PLAX, &c..

Paltented July 10, 1888.

Wrtqesses 5? N. FE'IERS, Pmw-Ln n ner, Waxhington. n. c.

QUNITE STATES JOHN ORR W'ALLAOE, OF BELFAST, COUNTY OF ANTRIM, IRELAND.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING, SCUTCHING, AND CLEANING FLAX, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,737, dated July10,1888.

Application filed April 6, 1887. Serial No. 233,952. (No model.)Patented in England January 6, 1887, No. 193; in France April Elli,1887, No. 180,302; in Belgium April 27, 1887, No. 77.238, and in NewZealand May 6, 1887, No. 2,322.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ORR WALLACE, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Belfast, in the county of Antrim,'Ireland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Breaking,Scutching, and Cleaning Flax, &c., (for which I have obtained LettersPatent in France No.

180,392, dated April 26, 1887; Belgium, No.

77,238, dated April 27, 1887; New Zealand, No 2,322, dated May 6, 1887,and in England, dated January 6, 1887, No 193, sealed March 17, 1888,)of which the following is a specification.

The chief object of this invention is to pro duce cheap and effectiveapparatus for breaking, cleaning, and scutching the fibers of flax andother similar plants.

In the machine constructed according to my invention the fiber, orrather the whole stalks, of the flax or other plant are passed throughit in the direction of their length, and in their passage through themachine are acted upon first by feeding and breaking rollers and thenalternately by rollers and pins, as will be hereinafter fully described,which thoroughly break up and remove the woody parts, leaving the fiberclean for the hackling or other preparing machine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section, some of the parts being in elevation; Fig. 3 anend elevation, and Fig. at a plan, of same. Figs. 5 and 6 are elevationsof parts upon the opposite side of the machine to that depicted in Fig.1 and showing devices for actuating the rollers. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of beati ng apparatus, which is shown in side elevation in Fig. 7.Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of one of the sliding bearings for therollers. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the gill 0r SplittingtOOl. Fig.10 is a perspective view of the perforated protecting plate for the pinsof the gill. Fig. 11 is a face view of the blank from which the protectingplates are formed, and Fig. 12 presents cross'sectional views,showing differing forms of strengtheningstrips.

A is a strong frame-work for the machine, made ofwood, iron, or othersuitable material.

It may be of any convenient shape, and that shown in the drawings andmade of cast-irou will probably be found to be the most suitable.

B is an upright or standard at each side of v the frame. In it areformed, as shown, the bearings O for the rollers D. The bearings arecast in the upright when made of metal, and each may be lined with abrass bush, if preferred. The rollers are each held in position in theirbearings by means of a sliding piece, 0, (see Fig. 8,) which is pressedagainst the axle or spindle d of the roller by a suitable spiral orother spring, 0'. The spring at the other e11 d abuts-against the cap orplate c,into which the shank of the slide projects. This arrangement ofthe rollenbearings is to allow of a lateral movement of the rollers, soas to enable them to adjust themselves to the thickness of material fedin and to maintain thereon an approximately equal pressure.

The frame or standard B is itself rigid and stationary. Either of therollers D can at any time be removed from the frame without moving ordisturbing the others. If desired, the bearings for the spindles of therollers may be formed of brackets bolted or screwed to the frame B onthe outside; but I prefer the arrangement shown.

.3 are two frames or slides. which move to and fro upon the members A ofthe frame A.

The slides E move to and fro in a horizontal direction and at rightangles to the longitudinal axes of the rollers D. They carry a series ofgills or tools, 11, formed with pinsf, which as they move to and frofirst approach each other until the pins pierce the straw and thenrecede. One set or pair of these tools, F. is placed between each twopairs of rollers. The pins f of the tools F pass through guides formedof perforated or slotted plates G, (herein shown perl'orated,)strengthened by bars or rods g. (See Figs. 11. and 12.) The plates G aremade in the form shown in Fig. 10, with a projecting piece, 9, on top toprevent any dust or dirt falling down onto or between the pinsf, whichwould be likely to clog them. As seen in Fig. 12, the form of thestrengthening-strips may be varied considerably. The slides E receivemotion from the eccentric-shafts H, Figs. 1 and 4, through theeccentrics H and eccentricrods I, or the shaft H may be a crankshaft andwork the slides E through connecting-rods I. The shafts H are drivenfrom the horizontal shaft J by means of the bevel'wheelsj. It isnecessary that the fibershould not be dragged or pressed forward whileit is engaged by the pinsf. Therefore the rollers D and the feed-rollersS (hereinafter described) must have an intermittent motion and that atthe time when the tools F are drawn back. They are therefore driven bymeans of pawls engaging with ratchet-wheels on their axles. Theratchetwheels K for driving the rollers D are keyed to the spindles d,and the pawls 7c are carried by a rod, lVLworking in brackets m. At eachdownward movement of the rod M the rollers are rotated part of arevolution. The rod M 'is reeiproeated vertically by means of the leverN, which passes through a loop or socket in the lower end of the rod.This lever N is pivotally connected to frame A by means of a bolt, a,passing through the slotted end of the lever, the opposite end of saidlever being connected with the strap of an eccentric, n, on the shaft J,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

S are feed-rollers to conduct the straw to the machine. They receive anintermittent motion synchronously with the rollers D.

The ratchetwhecls K, Fig. 5, on their spindles are worked by pawlscarried by the bar M, which slides in the brackets m. The bar M isworked from the bar M by means of the bell-crank N, which is pivoted ata on the frame A.

P, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, is a traveling band or apron, upon which the fiberdrops and is carried from beneath the rollers to any convenlent placewhere the attendant can receive the fiber. Y

Q, Figs. 7 and 7, isarevolving bcaterformed of a series of arms, q,radiating from a center like the spokes of a wheel. The beater revolvesclose to a flat board or partition, R, with a slit or slot, 1*, in it.Through this slot the attendant presents the end 0 of the fiber to theheater-first one and then the other-until the adhering woody matter isknocked off. Motion may be imparted to beater Q, by belt from thedriving-shaft of the machine or from any other source.

The machine is herein shown and described with the different pairs ofrollers superimposed and the slides and pins moving horizontally. This Iconsider the best arrangement, but do not limit the invention thereto,as the rollers may be placed horizontally and the slides and pins workvertically; or they may be set at any inclination to the perpendicularthat may be for any reason found desirable.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The machine is set in motionand the fibrous straw fed in by the feedrollers S on the top of theframe, and carried forward by the rollers D at each movement given tothem by the pawls and ratchets. Between each forward movement of thefiber the slides E, carrying the tools F, are caused to advance andreeede by the eccentrics H on the shafts H. The pins f then penetrateand are withdrawn from the fiber. The action of the pins on the fibrousmaterial is to split up the woody part of the straw and subdivide thefiber. This they do while the material is held by the rollers, and ateach successive movement of the machine a different part is acted uponby the pins, and as it travels through each length engages with each setof pins once or oftener, as may be required. The pins set at the top ofthe machine or at the end where the material first enters it may be madecoarser than those which subsequently act upon it. The fibers pass fromthe rollers onto thetraveling band I, by which they are carried to oneside of the machine, and are then passed by the attendant into the slotrin the partition R, where they are acted upon by the beater Q and theadhering woody material removed, leaving the fibers in condition to behackled.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for treating flax, thecombination, with a frame-work, of a series of rollers, D D, arranged inpairs, one pair above auother,'and each roller provided with aratchet-whecl, a bar, M, provided with pawls to ca gage theratchet-wheels, mechanism for imparting a reciprocating motion to thebar, tools F, provided with pins'f, and located between the pairs ofrollers, and a mechanism for imparting motion to the tools F, allsubstantially as shown, the rollers and tools alternating in theirmovements, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a frame-work, a pair of rollers, D D, eachprovided with a ratchetwheel, a vertically-reciprocating bar,M, providedwith pawls to engage withand rotate the ratchet-wheels and the rollers,amain shaft, J, provided with an eccentric, a bar, N, connected at oneend with the eccentric and at the other end with the frame and passingthrough the lower end ofthe reciprocating bar M, aset of tools, F,beneath the rollers, shafts H, pro vided with eccentrics and receivingmotion from the main shaft, and pitmen I I, connecting the tools withthe eccentrics, the eccentrics on the shafts H and J being sotimed,respectively, as to cause the rollers and the tools to alternatein their movements.

3. In a machine for treating flax, the combination, with a suitableframe-work, of the crushingrollers D D, the tools F F beneath therollers, the feeding-rollers S S, a main shaft, andintermittently-acting connections, substantially as shown, between themainshaft and the rollers and between the main shaft and the tools,whereby the feeding rollers and breaking-rollers are actuated positivelybe fore each inward movement of the tools.

4. In a machine for treating flax, the combination, withasuitablcframe-work, ofrollers D D, provided with ratchet-wheels, feedingrollersS, also provided with ratchet-wheels, at

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reciprocating bar, M, provided with pawls to engage with the wheels onthe rollers D 1), means for reciprocating said bar M, abar, M, providedwith pawls to engage the wheels on rollers S, and a connection betweenthe bars M and M.

5. In a machine for treating flax, the combination, with a suitableframe-work and the uprights B, of a pair of rollers, D D, mountedtherein and provided with ratchet-wheels, a series of rollers, S,arranged to one side of the rollers D and provided with ratchet-wheels,an uprightreciprocating bar, M, provided with pawls to engage theratchet-wheels upon the rollers D, means for reciprocating the bar andguiding itin its movement, an approximatelyhorizontal bar, M, providedwith pawls to engage the ratehet-wh eels ofrollers S and guided in itsmovement by means of brackets m, and an ell-)owlever, N, connecting thebars M and M.

6. In amachine for treating flax, &c., the combination, with theframe-work, of the roll- 1 less belt P beneath the tools, drivingshaftJ, and connections, substantially such as shown. for imparting necessarymotion to the several parts from the driving-shaft.

7. In a machine for treating flax, 850., the combination, with thereciprocating frames E, provided with a series of pins,f, of aperforated plate, G, provided with strengtheningstrips, as 9, betweenthe rows of perforations.

- 8. In a machine for treating flax, &c., the combi nation, with thereciprocating frames E, provided with pinsf, of a perforated plate, G,having the protecting-plate 9, all arranged for operation substantiallyin the mannershown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN 01m WALLACE.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. M. SAVAGE, ARTHUR W. MoILvEEN.

ers I) 1), tools F F bencalh the rollers, end-

